Pia Olsen Dyhr's prevention fund faces criticism: '50 million quickly finds its way'

- The government has decided to prioritize stress very highly.

That’s the word from Minister of Economic Affairs and the Interior Pia Olsen Dyhr (SF), after she held a roundtable discussion today with labor market partners, psychologists, and other stakeholders on stress prevention.

On Tuesday, a new report from the Danish Economic Council revealed that severe stress is sending tens of thousands of people partially or completely out of the labor market (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/penge/stress-sender-titusindvis-uden-arbejdsmarkedet-viser-ny-rapport), costing society up to 30 billion kroner per year.

“This is such a major societal problem – perhaps actually the biggest problem after cancer – that we have to find some social solutions for it,” says Pia Olsen Dyhr.

That’s why the government has set aside 50 million kroner in 2027 for a new prevention fund in its draft budget. But this is far from enough, according to the Economic Council of the Labour Movement (Arbejdernes Erhvervsråd).

“50 million doesn’t go very far,” says the council’s chairman and professor of economics at Aarhus University, Michael Rosholm. Because, according to the government, the fund is also supposed to address many other areas besides stress.

“It also covers the physical work environment, chronic diseases, and all sorts of other things. So 50 million kroner will run out very quickly,” says Michael Rosholm.

Hear the criticism here from the chairman of the Economic Council of the Labour Movement and professor of economics, Michael Rosholm.

The same view is held by the unions, the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne), and HK, who otherwise view a new prevention fund positively.

“We would have liked to see more than 50 million kroner set aside. The problems are extensive, and there is a need for a long-term effort,” says HK chairman Mads Samsing.

“There is certainly room for greater ambition and more investment in a prevention fund,” says Tomas Kepler, chairman of the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).

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More money is coming... at some point

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In the budget proposal (https://fm.dk/media/a5qdxxbc/et-staerkere-forsvar-af-danmark-et-styrket-danmark-at-forsvare_finanslovforslaget-2027-a.pdf), the government states that 50 million is set aside for the new fund, which will be established in 2027 – and that only after that will the fund’s future financing be considered in an upcoming economic plan.

“Given that the potential gains from reducing stress are so large, we think they could increase that amount a bit,” says Michael Rosholm, chairman of the Economic Council of the Labour Movement.

But more money is also on the way for the fund, says Minister of Economic Affairs and the Interior Pia Olsen Dyhr.

“Believe me, this is just the beginning.”

However, she will not be specific about how much more money or when it will appear in the fund.

“We are figuring out how to scale up the prevention fund, because much more is needed,” Pia Olsen Dyhr acknowledges.

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From 15 billion to 50 million

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Pia Olsen Dyhr and SF actually went to the election promising to “develop the welfare state with a billion-kroner fund for prevention” (https://sf.dk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/forebyggelses_udspil2024_v2.pdf).

Under that plan, the state would put 15 billion kroner into the fund by 2030, aimed exclusively at the public sector, while private foundations and companies could contribute additional money for the private sector.

But whether the government’s prevention fund will grow from 50 million to a double-digit billion amount, Pia Olsen Dyhr can neither confirm nor deny.

“We need to go higher in terms of amounts. Both regarding stress and prevention, but also investments in our children’s lives. It’s a comprehensive well-being package that SF ran on. We have delivered five billion for children’s lives, but beyond that, we also need to deliver much more on prevention,” says the SF chairwoman.

But isn’t there still a long way from 50 million to 15 billion?

“Yes, and that’s why we are working on several different elements. We are doing something for children’s lives – that’s five billion – and now we are delivering a prevention fund of 50 million, but that’s only the start.”

According to the government’s platform, the five billion that Pia Olsen Dyhr mentions will go, among other things, to retaining and recruiting primary school teachers, renovating the most dilapidated schools, and ensuring minimum staffing levels in daycare facilities.

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